New house or new limbs?!

We describe a rare case of end-stage haemophiliac joint disease with inhibitors to factor VIII. Using recombinant factor VIIa treatment, the patient was able to undergo major orthopaedic procedures not previously possible. Although the estimated cost of putting this patient through surgery, prosthetic fitting and rehabilitation is close to pound 500,000, we hope his overall care requirements will be reduced following the successful surgery and that he will require considerably less in the way of analgesics with an improved independent quality of life for many years.

Do patients want copies of their GP letters?--our experience with 7250 patients.

A prospective study was performed to investigate whether patients would actively request a copy of their GP letters following an outpatient consultation. The study was performed at two sites and involved 7250 Trauma & Orthopaedic patients, and of these only 0.3% of patients requested a copy of their letter by actively filling in a stamped envelope. The estimated cost of sending a copy of the letter to all the patients seen in the NHS Outpatients was 13 million pounds in England alone. We suggest that rather than sending patients' copies of all their correspondence as a routine, there are more secure and cost effective ways to inform patients and allow free access to all information recorded in their medical notes.

Risk of conjunctival contamination in total joint arthroplasty.

This study arose from a concern about the transmission of infection through conjunctival contamination during total joint arthroplasty surgery. A prospective analysis of 110 sets of personal face and eye protective equipment (Sterishields) used for 29 total hip arthroplasties (THA) and 26 total knee arthroplasties (TKA) were examined for macroscopic contamination. In additition, a postal questionnaire regarding the perceived risk of eye contamination and current practice of eye protection used during TKA and THA surgery was sent to 1500 Fellows of the British Orthopaedic Association. All Sterishields demonstrated macroscopic contamination with an average of 203 blood and fat spots. The number of these was significantly higher in the lower half of the Sterishields. Of the 834 useable replies, 48% of respondents did not use adequate eye protection routinely. Twenty-eight percent felt that no eye protection was needed, while 45% felt that the eye protection available compromised their vision and so did not use it. One hundred and seven respondents (13%) reported being aware of eye contamination, while 21 (2.5%) respondents were aware of at least one case of conjunctival infection following contamination. This study demonstrates that there is a high risk of conjunctival contamination with fat and blood in major total joint arthroplasty. The reported use of appropriate eye and face protection in the UK has been shown to be low (52%).

Knee dislocation of a morbidly obese patient: a case report.

Knee dislocations of morbidly obese patients after a trivial fall are not uncommon. We report a case of closed reduction for a dislocated right knee of a 26-year-old obese woman. After closed reduction under general anaesthesia, her knee was supported by pillows in 30 degrees flexion. No external splint was used because of the enormous size of the leg. At day 4 after reduction, the patient had numbness over the dorsum of the right foot and was unable to dorsiflex. She was diagnosed as having peroneal nerve palsy and was fitted with a foot drop splint. One week after reduction, she started active, assisted knee mobilisation and tip-toe weight bearing. At 24 months after reduction, the patient was able to walk unaided and had 100 degrees of knee flexion. She had a good foot function and a grade II in the Lachman's test, with no varus or valgus instability. This case highlights the importance of early mobilisation, which can result in good outcome even without operative treatment.

Flexor to extensor tendon transfers in the hand.

We reviewed 49 cases of flexor to extensor tendon transfer following injury to the radial nerve (22) or brachial plexus (27). Post-operative follow-up average 5.6 years (0.5-12.5). Function was improved in 84% (41) of patients. 16% (8) reported no improvement; of these, four (50%) had associated vascular injuries. In those with improvement, impaired coordination and dexterity were reported by 79% (15 of 19) of the plexus injuries and in 64% (14 of 22) of the radial nerve palsies. Premature fatigue was noted by 89% (17 of 19) of plexus injuries and in 82% (18 of 22) of radial nerve palsies. The power of wrist extension averaged 22% of the contralateral side (8% to 80%), power of digital extension was 31% (5% to 130%), and power grip was reduced to 40% (5% to 86%).

Do augmentin or cefuroxime reach effective levels in lumbar vertebral discs when used prophylactically for discectomy? A preliminary report.

The incidence of discitis following discectomy is reported at between 0.75% and 3.0%. We believe this rate could be reduced if an antibiotic that penetrated the disc tissue with an appropriate spectrum were to be given prophylactically to cover surgery. A prospective study of 20 patients undergoing routine lumbar discectomy was performed. Ten patients received Augmentin 1.2 g and ten received cefuroxime 1.5 g pre-operatively. In eight patients sequestrated disc fragments were analysed, and the majority were found to have drug levels higher than in the attached disc material; the reasons for this are discussed. We conclude that Augmentin penetrates damaged disc material to a limited extent, but cefuroxime achieves levels effective against the most commonly implicated pathogens in discitis tissue and is a rational choice of antibiotic for prophylaxis during lumbar discectomy.

A new burn area assessment chart.

A series of body charts have been designed that are more representative of changing body proportion with increasing age. Being easier to use, these charts have led to a better estimate by the casualty doctor of the body surface area that has been burned.